More Online Marketing to Promote Mango

Last week, the International Congress for Mexican Food took place online and one of the speakers was Manuel Michel, Executive Director of the National Mango Board. In 40 minutes, InfoRural writes, he described what actions his board had taken this year to promote the Mexican mango in the US and how it has faced the challenge of the pandemic at the same time.

 “2020 has been, without a doubt, a difficult year in which the economy suffered an economic slowdown. In the US, there were so-called panic purchases and logistical changes, the restaurant industry suffered a collapse and home deliveries of food increased,” Michel said. One of the changes implemented at retail stores was that demonstrations and food samplings were put on hold. Consumer interest in packaged goods grew over non-packaged goods. Moreover, there was a spectacular increase in grocery home deliveries. Between August 2019 and March 2020, the US market recorded a 223 percent increase in grocery home delivery. Between March and June 2020, home delivery rose by another 80 percent.

With more consumers ordering from home and little ability to do physical demonstrations, the National Mango Board has committed to online advertising and social networks, while at the same time continuing showcases in service industry publications. Part of the online content, Michel stated, will be focused on providing new recipes that are developed by chefs and presented in video content. These actions are similar to those taken by the Avocados From Mexico (AFM) organization, which this year is organizing online festivals with musicians and cooks to advertise the Mexican avocado.

Michel pointed to a survey conducted by IMF and The Hartman Foundation, which demonstrated that 88 percent of adults expect there will be a persistent change in cooking, gastronomy and shopping habits. Forty-eight percent of adults feel that they will have to prepare meals more frequently and 36 percent of consumers have indicated that they have adopted healthier food consumption.

On the whole, the board is happier with per capita consumption of fresh mango in the US. Michel pointed out that since 2005, per capita consumption in the US has grown 84 percent. In 2020, he estimates that it was 3.47lb per person. In terms of US imports, mango has seen a 113 percent increase in volume and 152 percent in FOB value since 2005. Mango imports from Mexico specifically saw an increase of 115 percent in volume and 146 percent in FOB value since 2015.

“Mango had to overcome challenges related to the COVID 19 pandemic and distribution in early April, but it rebounded during the months of May and June and exceeded expectations in July and August. Distribution struggled again in September-October and demand fell again in November and early December.” It was an inconsistent year, with a greater drop in demand in the fall than usual. Michel also said frozen mango supply rose by 40 percent compared to 2019. Dehydrated mango kept a stable growth of 2 percent.

Between January and August 2020, mango consolidated its place among Mexico’s Top 5 agri-exports. The country is one of the main exporters globally. To read more about Mexico’s mango business, read our previous report.